Table Rock Lake Fishing Report

By Brian Snowden

www.missouriangling.com

Water Level: 915

Normal Pool: 916

Water Temp: 72-76



Baxter, Campbell Point, Dam Area, & Kimberling City



The topwater bite has slowed down, but some fish can be taken early on

this bait. If you can fish bluffends with standing timber in 15-25 feet of water you can most likely get a topwater bite. On calm days work a Jointed Red Fin in smoky Joe, and on windy days work a Zara Spook in blue shore minnow. The most consistent bite has been on a Carolina rig. I have been using a seven foot, medium heavy, St. Croix Rod with 12 pound, green, Vicious Fishing Line with a ¾ or ½ oz. barrel weight, two glass beads, and a swivel with a twelve pound leader that is 3 ½ to 4 feet long. The best baits seem to be a Zoom Baby Brushhog and a Double Ringer, both in green pumpkin or watermelon candy. If a Carolina rig is not your cup of tea you can try throwing a 5/8 or ¾ oz. football jig in pb&j or watermelon with a green pumpkin, Zoom Speed Craw as a trailer. Work both rigs on long, tapering points with the boat sitting in 30 feet of water.



Long Creek



In the upper river of Long Creek work the back half of creeks or steep pockets with a 3/8 oz. double willow leaf white and chartreuse spinnerbait along the steeper channel bank just before it flattens out into the very back. If the fish are reluctant to bite the spinnerbait switch to pitching a Zoom Super Hog in green pumpkin/blue flake to any shallow laydowns in 1-3 feet of water. As you move out of the river area toward the main lake work the main gravel channel swings with a Carolina rig as mentioned above. The fish tend to be a little more shallow in this area so try working the 15-25 foot range.



James River



In the James River the deep crankbait bite is just starting to take off. Work main lake, gravel flats with scattered brush piles in 10-15 feet of water. I have been throwing my crankbaits on a seven foot, glass, St. Croix Crankbait Rod with ten pound, green, Vicious Fishing Line. Position the boat in 20 feet of water making long casts toward the shore with a Fat Free Shad or a Norman DD 22. Work the bait with a medium retrieve pausing it occasionally when you make contact with the brush piles. The best colors of crankbaits seem to be citrus shad on cloudy days and lavender shad on sunny days. If the fish are not wanting to chase down the crankbait work the same areas with a Carolina rig Baby Brush Hog in green pumpkin dipping the tails in chartreuse.